Wall for reaction towers



Dec. 16,1930. F. J.-BOWMAN WALL FOR REACTiON TOWERS Filed Apri} 29. 1929 3 Shuts-Sheet 2 FIG. Z

firromcv Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK J. BOWMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRASSELLI CHEMI- CAL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE WALL roe REACTION 'rowms Application filed April 29,

drain towards the inside of the tower and where the compounds used for sealing and jointing said construction members can be applied from the outside of the walls, after the walls are laid.

In its broadest embodimentmy invention l comprises laying the individual construction members on an incline and widening both the horizontal and vertical joints at the outside to provide for grooves into which the sealing compound will be applied.

For ease of construction and low cost I prefer to construct the walls of my towers of substantially circular shape; I am in this manner able to use blocks of substantially identical shape all through the walls whereas for towers'of other forms the shape of the block-s would have'to be varied according to the contour of the walls.

The construction of circular walls in conformity with the preferred embodiment of my invention comprises the use of specially shaped key blocks. In applying my invention to tower walls of another contour I will require blocks which are in general similar to those used in the construction of my circular walls. I will thereforedescribemy invention in detail in reference to the preferred embodiment. c

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one course of blocks laid in my tower. p 4.0 Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of a part of a tower constructed accordmg to my invention. V

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the outside of a section of my tower wall. Fig. 4 is a plan view, Fig. 5 a front elevation, and Fig. 6 a side elevation ofthe particularly shaped block used in the preferred embodiment of my invention, these last three figures showing the block in the position as 5 laid in the walls.

It provides for a construction where leak- 1929. Serial No. 359,141.

The block which'I use in my invention is characterized by being a distorted key block. Its side faces, as shown in Fig. 6, form parallelograms, having an acute angle a between the uprightedge of the inner face and the lower edge oflthe side face: "When the block is laid in position the two side faces will be substantially perpendicular.

The lower and upper faces are truncated sectors of the surfaces of cones having a common axis. I p

The inner and outer faces are likewise truncated sectors of the surfaces of cones which have the same axis as thatof the lower andupper face cones. The upright edges of the outer face are'chamfered in conformity with the shape of the upper and lowerfaces. The upright joint between adjacent blocks is therefore widened toward the outside and forms a groove, as plainly shown in. Figs. 1 and 3. j i

The blocks are conveniently made from usual brick building material as suited for the construction of chemical reaction towers and by the usual methods such as molding to the desired shape and burning. The 'chamfers at the outer, face of the brick can be provided for during formation of the brick or they-can be cut off the finished brick. In particular instances where ordinary or acid bricks might not be desirable and other materials such as good granite, sandstone or Volvic lava are available I can have my blockshewn to the desired shape .and use them in the construction of my tower walls.

The actual dimensions of my blocks are entirely dependent upon the size of tower desired, building material available and other factors independentof my invention. 'T he angles of the parallelograms formed by the side faces of my'blocks have, however, to be within certain limits as will be specified below.

In erecting the wallsof my reaction towers I can lay my bricks dry, i. e. without any binding material, the walls being made air tight by the ap lication of jointingmaterial as silicate, fire clay and tar used in the art of building chemical reaction towers; the construction of my walls provides also in this instance for the application of jointing material from the outside and allows of easily repairing and closing any leakage which might have developed in the original joints, whereas it is practically impossible to repair joints in the heretofore used construction of reaction towers.

In building the walls of a tower according to my invention I provide first for a bottom of material and shape as suited for the particular purpose for which the tower is intended. As the construction of such bottoms is well known in the arts and does not form part of my invention it does not need to be described in detail.

On this bottom I lay a circular course of radial skewbacks #1 in Fig. 2,with inner and outer faces substantially vertical. These skewbacks are of such a shape that the acute angle a of my blocks is less than the angle B, Fig. 2, formed by the radial edge of the upper face with the upright edge of the outer face of the skewback.

On this course of skewbacks I lay a horizontal course of my particularly shaped blocks. Fig. 2 shows the lower edges of my blocks laid flush with the outer faces of the skewbacks. This is in no way essential. The first course of my blocks can be laid so that either or both the inner and outer faces of the skewbacks and blocks protrude and form lips or led es.

Due to the inclination of the upper faces of the skewbacks the blocks of this course lay on an incline and form a self locking, what I might call horizontal arch, as is evidenced from Figs. 1 and 2. Pressure from the additional courses contributes in tightening the construction and any slippage of blocks 1s entirely prevented. This is considered a great advantage over a construction by means of horizontal radial blocks which have to be kept in position by hoops, as otherwise each indi- 'vidual block is easily loosened and the joints start leaking. The angles or and [3 (see Fig. 2) being different the inner and outer faces of the individual blocks will be inclined and as the angle a is less than ,8 the inclination will be downward toward the center of the tower. The inner and outer faces of each course of blocks are the surfaces of truncated cones and they are always arranged with the apex downward. The upper and lower faces of each course are also surfaces of truncated cones with apex downward.

This particular construction where each courseof blocks is self locking and where the weight of the whole construction tends to tighten the horizontal arches formed by the individual courses produces walls inwhich each building block is held in position withoutthe need of a binding material and in this manner cooperates in the formation of a reaction tower which is practically leak proof and can be made air tight by the application ofdsealing or jointing material from the outs1 e.

I now lay a second course of blocks of the same shape and dimensions on this first course The horizontal arch of this second course has necessarily the same diameter as the first course and the lower edge of the inner surface will therefore be perpendicularly above the lower edge of the inner surface of the first course, with the other edges in the same corresponding position. The upper edge of the inner surface of the first course will be recessed in relation to the lower inside edge of the succeeding course. This last edge forms consequently a lip 2, Fig. 2, around the inner wall of the tower. Similarly the lower edge of the outer face of the second course will be recessed in relation to the upper outside edge of the first course. The joint between two courses is therefore widened abruptly at the outer periphery and will form a circular ledge, 3, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Due to the chamfering of the upright edges of the outside faces of my blocks there will be upright grooves, 4, Figs. 1 and 3 between adjacent blocks in each course.

Succeeding courses of blocks are laid exactly in the same manner as course #2 until the desired height of the tower is reached. The whole tower is then closed or covered in any desired manner.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the profile of my tower wall will he sawtooth shaped with lips pointing downward at the inside of the tower and dents pointing upward at the outside. a

The various features embodied in the construction of my tower walls cooperate to make these walls practically leak proof. Any liquid reaching the inner walls runs off the lips provided at each course of blocks and only relatively small amounts of the li uid come in contact with the horizontal joints between the courses of blocks Any liquid which creeps into the vertical joints will work down toward the horizontal joint and as these are inclined towards the centre of the tower will drain into the tower and have no tendency to work through the wall to the outside. This is particularly important in view of the fact that there is hardly any material which can be used in making joints between bricks which is not attacked, loosened or which does not expand in contact with corrosive substances such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acid which are commonly circulated through brick or stone towers of ordinary construction. Destruction of the joints, loosening of bricks with resultant leakage and constant repairs are therefore daily occurrences with towers of former construction. In towers of my construction there is a constant tendency of drainage of any liquids which might enter the joints towards the inside of the tower and as I prefer to lay my building members dry, there is no possibility of expansion of the joints.

It will be understood that it would hardly be possible to build my construction blocks of perfectly correct shape and with entirely smooth contacting surfaces. I must therefore provide for means to render my construction air and gas tight in addition to having it leakage proof. For this purpose I have provided the grooves, 4, see Figs. 1 and 3, which terminate the upright joints between the individual blocks and the ledges, 3, Figs. 2 and 3, which extend on the outside the inclinedjoints between the various courses of blocks. The easiest way of closin the joints isthen to fill the grooves and le ges with a putty like jointing material such as mixtures of clay and tar, silicate and asbestos, etc., which will stay in place and harden, forming a liquid and air tight seal. As very little liquid frdm the inside of the tower will creep through the whole length of the joints between the blocks there is very little danger of destroying the jointing material through the corrosive action of the liquid. In other instances I have used similar, but free flowing jointing materialsto paint the outside contacts of the blocks, either by painting thls with a brush or spraying it with a point gun. In either instance the liquid builds up in the V shaped grooves and ledges entering the joints only to a slight extent but sufficiently so to form a tight seal, at the same time preventing the sealing material from falling off.

Any deficiency in the joints is easily re-,

paired without the necessity of shutting down operations in the tower or removing any parts of it.

I claim:

1. Walls of reaction towers formed of blocks of building material in which the joints between the blocks draimtowards the outer surfaces of said courses representing surfaces of truncated cones and the upright joints between adjacent blocks terminating at the tower and in which a sealing, or jointing material is applied from the outside to the joints between adjacent blocks.

7. A block of building material for use in the construction of reaction towers, said block having the shape of a distorted key brick,

with side faces formin parallelograms and having an acute angle etween the uprightinner edge and the lower edge, with lower and upper faces representing truncated sectors of the'surfaces o cones having a common axis, the outer corners of WhlCh faces are cut off and with 1nner and outer faces hkewise representing truncated sectors of the surfaces of cones having the same axis as that of the lower and upper face cones, the outer upright ed es of said block being chamfered.

In testimony whereof, I aflix m s1 ature. FREDERICK J. BgW

inside of.,the tower and in which the joints are widened at the outside of the walls to form grooves and ledges.

2. Walls of reaction towers built up of courses of self-locking horizontal arches, in

which each course has at the inner surface a circular lip pointing downwardly and at the outer surface a led e below the next upper course'and in w'hic the upright joints between adjacent arch forming locks terminate at the outside in grooves.

3. Walls of reaction towers constructed of substantially identical distorted key blocks, laid in courses forming self-locking horizontal arches, and inwhich the upright joints between'adjacent blocks terminate at the outside in grooves.

4. Walls of reaction towers constructed of substantially identical distorted ke'y blocks, laid in courses, the upper, lower, inner and 

